Today is Martin Luther King Jr Day, and Wallet Hub has issued a report on race relations which indicates Louisiana is among the top 10 for making the most progress. We’re among a handful of other southern states in WalletHub’s rankings of racial progress, and spokeswoman Jill Gonzales says there is a bit of the “nowhere to go but up” factor at play…:
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She says Louisiana’s biggest improvement areas over time were health care, education and civil engagement.

A homeowner in Slidell shot and killed a man early Monday morning, according to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. They say deputies were called to a disturbance where the resident told investigators that he confronted a subject who was acting erratically in the front yard of his residence; so he fatally shot the man. No arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing.

A recent poll commissioned by Restore the Mississippi River Delta finds over half of Louisianans polled believe coastal land loss is at a crisis. Jimmy Frederick with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana says this shows the topic is important to residents here…:
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He says that’s why a master plan on coastal restoration is being proposed to the legislature for approval this year.

A special session could kick off as early as next month so that lawmakers can decide how to deal with the state’s $313 million dollar budget shortfall. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says the legislature raised nearly $2 billion in taxes last year, but it just wasn’t enough to balance the budget…:
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Dardenne says they plan to use money from the rainy day fund to close some of the gap, but that still leaves about another 200 million dollars in possible cuts.

Louisiana is 10th best in the nation for race relation improvements. According to a new survey by WalletHub, the state made the most progress in healthcare, education and civic engagement. WalletHub spokesperson Jill Gonzales says even though there was a lot of growth shown here on racial matters, there are still areas that are struggling…:
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She says there is also a large imbalance of workplace participation among blacks and whites in Louisiana.

A Houma high-school that was for black students only during segregation will reopen next month as a museum celebrating African-American history in St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes. Dedication will be held on February 4th for the schoolhouse that was once called The Academy.

A recent poll commissioned by Restore the Mississippi River Delta finds over half of Louisianans surveyed believe coastal land loss is at a crisis, while 96-percent said it needs attention. Jimmy Frederick with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana says saving the coast isn’t just about protecting coastal cities. He says it’s important for the entire state…:
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He says that’s why a master plan on coastal restoration is being proposed to the legislature for approval this year.

Pro Football Focus has released its top 10 Heisman Trophy candidates to watch out for in 2017, and it includes running back Derrius Guice. Guice carried the ball 183 times for 1387 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2016. He also caught nine passes for 106 yards and a touchdown.

State lawmakers are gearing up for another special session. The Revenue Estimating Conference said Louisiana has a $313 million dollar hole in the budget. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne…:
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The special session could begin next month.

Today is Martin Luther King Jr Day, and Wallet Hub has issued a report on race relations which indicates Louisiana is among the top 10 for making the most progress. Spokesperson Jill Gonzales says the report measured the gaps between blacks and whites in 16 key indicators that put the state right at number 10…:
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She says Louisiana is still struggling in areas of white/black business ownership, and average income.

State Rep. Jack Montoucet of Crowley takes over as Louisiana’s new Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary. Emelie Gunn has more.:
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State Police are looking for the driver involved in a three vehicle hit and run in Baton Rouge that injured a Trooper who was in his patrol car. They say Sunday afternoon an unknown vehicle rear-ended a fully marked LSP unit and another truck, then fled the scene. The Trooper sustained minor injuries. Investigators believe that the suspect vehicle is a red/maroon Chrysler PT Cruiser or Chevrolet HHR.

State lawmakers are once again getting ready to enter a special session because the state is facing a $313 million budget deficit. Halen Doughty reports…
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It’s is Martin Luther King Junior day. So state and local government offices are closed today. There are several M-L-K day celebrations taking place and officials urge residents to do volunteer work in honor of the civil rights leader, who would be 88 years-old today.

State Representative Jack Montoucet begins his role today as the state’s new Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary. Montoucet has been the owner of an alligator farm in Acadiana for 30 years. Montoucet says alligators were on the endangered species list years ago but through the work of LDWF, the population has grown substantially. He looks forward to expanding other similar programs…
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According to guidelines recently established, parents of children up to age 5 should limit their child’s screen time to one hour per tday. Ochsner Health Center Zachary Pediatrician, Doctory Myrian Ortiz, says while it is esseential to limit a child’s media time, technology isn’t entireley bad either…
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Louisiana is facing yet another mid-year budget shortfall, this time $313 million dollars. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says they’ll have to look at cuts or revenue raising measures in a special session; and the picture of what could happen is grim..:
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A special session could happen next month.

Crowley Representative Jack Montoucet begins his duties today as the new Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. He says there are plans for how to deal with the controversial spending under former Secretary Robert Barham revealed in an audit…:
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He also says he plans to resolve issues with recreational fishermen over red snapper management; where former Secretary Charlie Melancon crashed.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has released new guidelines on kids’ media use. They say children 2-5 years shouldn’t be on TV, computers or tablets more than one hour per day. Ochsner Health Center Zachary Pediatrician Dr. Myriam Ortiz says parents of kids who are older than 6 should keep the media restrictions steady…:
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She says children younger than 18 months shouldn’t be exposed to digital media at all.

Three museums in Shreveport that were slated to be closed at the end of last year will still be around a few more weeks. State funding for the sites was supposed to be cut off December 31st due to budget constraints, but they’ve been grated approval to stay open through February. They are the Spring Street Museum; the Shreveport Water Works museum; and the Shreveport Railroad Museum.

Napoleonville Senator Troy Brown says he will not resign, even after being convicted of his second domestic abuse charge in four months. Jeff Palermo has more…:
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It’s believed man in Baton Rouge was lighting a cigarette when the trailer he was in exploded due to a suspected propane leak. That’s according to fire officials. They said they man was living in the travel unit while his flood damaged home was being repaired. The resident suffered severe burns, and is being treated at a local hospital.

Acadiana lawmaker and alligator farmer Jack Montoucet will begin his duties as the new state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary on Monday. He says one of his plans while serving is to come up with ways to get more residents involved in outdoor activities…:
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Montoucet was appointed by Governor Edwards.

A special session could kick off as early as next month so that lawmakers can decide how to deal with the state’s $313 million dollar budget shortfall. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says the legislature raised nearly $2 billion in taxes last year, but it just wasn’t enough to balance the budget…:
Cut 15 (12) “wants to do”
Dardenne says they plan to use money from the rainy day fund to close some of the gap, but that still leaves about another 200 million dollars in possible cuts.

State lawmakers are once again getting ready to enter a special session as Louisiana faces a $313 million budget deficit…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

State Police are looking for the driver involved in a three vehicle hit and run in Baton Rouge that injured a Trooper who was in his patrol car. They say Sunday afternoon an unknown vehicle rear-ended a fully marked LSP unit and another truck, then fled the scene. The Trooper sustained minor injuries. Investigators believe that the suspect vehicle is a red/maroon Chrysler PT Cruiser or Chevrolet HHR.

Despite of calls for his resignation due to 2 domestic violence convictions, Napoleonville Senator Troy Brown says he won’t step down. But Baton Rouge Senator Dan Claitor says what Brown did is not acceptable.:
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The Senate can expel Brown from the body but the Democratic lawmaker says if that happens he’s going to explore legal options.

A local doctor advises parents to limit their children’s screen time each day because too much time looking at a TV, computer or tablet can be bad for a child’s health. Ochsner Health Center-Zachary Pediatrician Dr. Myriam Ortiz says children younger than 18 months shouldn’t be exposed to digital media at all. She says of children up to 2 years..:
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She says while it is essential to limit a child’s media time, technology isn’t entirely bad for children.

Despite a convincing performance by Bossier Parish native Dak Prescott and the Cowboys, Dallas couldn’t get by red hot Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs. Green Bay is heading to the NFC championship game after a 51 yard field goal as time expired lifted the Packers to a 34-31 victory over the Cowboys. It was rookie Prescott’s playoff debut and he began a Dallas rally with a 40-yard touchdown pass in the first half and had come back from a 15 point deficit to tie the game twice over the final 4 minutes, but a pass from Rodgers set up the contest winning field goal with 35 seconds left.

The Packers will face the New Orleans Saints rival Falcons Sunday in the Georgia Dome. Atlanta knocked out Seattle 36-20 to head to the NFC title game.

In the AFC championship game it’ll be the Steelers, who beat Kansas City last night 18-16, and the Patriots, who beat Houston, competing for a spot in the Super Bowl next Sunday night.

In the NBA things still aren’t working for the New Orleans Pelicans as they drop a road contest to Chicago 107-99 on Saturday. New Orleans faces another tough road game today at 3 against the Pacers.

In college hoops the LSU men’s basketball team will be hoping to turn around a dismal three weeks on Wednesday as they face Auburn. The Tigers dropped another ugly one in Baton Rouge Saturday; falling 81-66 to Alabama.

Sunday Southeastern rallied to beat in-state rival McNeese State 79-75. Tulane fell to SMU 80-64.

Today Louisiana will take on Georgia State at home. ULM hosts Georgia Southern. Grambling is at Texas Southern.

Acadiana lawmaker and alligator farmer Jack Montoucet will begin his duties as the new state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary today. He says one of his priorities will be to get more people to participate in outdoor activities…:
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Napoleonville Senator Troy Brown issued a statement saying he has no intention of leaving office, even though some are calling for his resignation over his two domestic abuse convictions. Baton Rouge Senator Dan Claitor hopes Brown won’t force the Senate to expel him…:
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Brown feels that would be way too harsh for misdemeanor offenses.

Meanwhile State lawmakers are gearing up for another special session. The Revenue Estimating Conference said Louisiana has a $313 million dollar hole in the budget. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says at this point, a special session is inevitable so the cuts can be spread around…:
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The special session could begin as soon as next month.

State Rep. Jack Montoucet of Crowley takes over as Louisiana’s new Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary. Emelie Gunn has more.:
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The head of the New Orleans Police Department is slated to meet with US House Speaker Paul Ryan today to talk about new ways cops in the city are working towards as far as de-escalation, decision making and use of force. Superintendent Michael Harrison said in a news release that the discussions will take place in Wisconsin and the topic will be on the new guide for police training introduced in New Orleans last month.